Sue stared at the woman, horrified. There was no way Vivien could know any of what happened to her. No one knew.
Vivien opened her mouth and touched her lips.
“What?” Heather asked.
“We have to protect her,” Vivien stated. “This isn’t a normal haunting. It’s not like Sam or Glenn. Sam was confused. Glenn was just an ass. This guy—”
“Don’t,” Sue begged, not wanting anyone to know. She’d kept the secret for so long. She took a step toward the front door and contemplated running out of the house.
Lorna and Heather turned to look at her, stopping her progress.
“Whatever happened, it’s not your fault,” Lorna said.
“Who told you about that?” Sue stared at Vivien. Tears brimmed her eyes. No one was supposed to know. The secret was to have died with Hank.
“You know how Lorna put her hands on you and healed you?” Heather approached her slowly. “Vivien has the ability to understand things about people, things they don’t say out loud.”
“Ghosts, talking to dead people, magical healing, mind reading.” Sue frowned. “What are you? Witches?”
“No,” Lorna said. “Well, kind of. Maybe. I’m a healer, and I’m good at locating lost objects. It’s a new gift. I mean, I’ve always had caretaking tendencies with my family, but Julia’s ring amplified it for me.”
“I’m clairsentient,” Vivien again rubbed her temple.
Sue inched away from the woman, not wanting her to pick up anything else from her past.
“I feel what other people are feeling and understand why they might be feeling that way,” Vivien continued, “but also claircognizant because I know if things are real or not without always being able to explain how I know. My ancestors worked for carnivals as fortune-tellers and doing tarot card readings. I’ve never tried to divine the future. That seems like a tricky business.”
“And you?” Sue asked Heather.
“I’m a medium,” Heather stated. “I see and talk to ghosts. My grandmother, Julia, was the same way. It’s a family trait.”
Sue looked around the room. “Do you see them now?”
“No.” Heather shook her head. “But this morning, there was one standing on our lawn in a bathrobe waving at something that wasn’t there. He was completely unaware of me. Sometimes they’re like that, a ghost trapped in some memory.”
“And other times?” Sue wasn’t sure if she should believe what they were saying. Trusting people wasn’t exactly in her skill set.
“Other times they’re more aware and vocal,” Heather said. “And, then, there are a few who have to be forced to show themselves. They’re usually the, uh—”
“Dangerous,” Vivien inserted.
“—serious problems,” Heather continued more diplomatically, “the ones who don’t want to be seen because they have certain motivations driving them.”
Sue watched them closely. What she had experienced, all the things that led her to this place, warred with reason. Logic told her that ghosts were not real. Magical healing powers were not real. Cursed rings were not real.
And yet, here she was. With each passing second, it became harder to deny what she was experiencing.
Sue didn’t want this to be real. She wanted nothing more than to fade into a quiet and simple life.
“Cinnamon rolls,” Lorna announced, waving them toward the dining room. “No more scary talk on an empty stomach.”
Sue glanced at her luggage and then at the door.
“Don’t even try it,” Heather whispered. “Lorna will hunt you down and make you eat something. She looks sweet but trust me, that woman can mom you with the best of them.”
Usually, having people stare at every bite of food she took would have been torture. Today, Sue didn’t care. Food tasted like food, and she stuffed every morsel she could into her mouth out of fear that at any second it would turn to hard liquor and ash.
“Another?” Lorna asked, even as she placed a third cinnamon roll in front of Sue.
The haze over her thoughts began to clear as the sugar entered her system, taking with it the constant ache in her head.
“Coffee?” Lorna asked.
Sue nodded, taking a big bite.
“Maybe you should make another pan,” Heather suggested.
Sue covered her mouth and mumbled, “I’m sorry. If I’m eating too—”
“She’s teasing,” Vivien said. “You eat as much as you want.”
Sue had a hard time meeting Vivien’s eyes. She could feel the pity in her gaze.
Lorna appeared with the coffee pot and refilled Sue’s mug.
“Thank you.” Sue set the half-eaten roll on the plate. “Would it be possible to get a ride back to the hotel? I should check back in.”
“Nonsense,” Lorna said. “You should stay here.”
Sue shook her head, uncomfortable with the idea. “You just moved in. You’re not even unpacked.”
“We’ll make room.” Heather began to nod at the others for their agreement.
“I’ll give you a ride wherever you want to go,” Vivien contradicted.
“Viv.” Lorna frowned. “She should stay here with us.”
“She’s clearly uncomfortable staying with strangers. Can you blame her?” Vivien stared at her again as if she was reading Sue’s innermost thoughts. “She is magically terrorized to get here, confused and alone. We rip off those supernatural bandages, drop a few hey-guess-what-you’re-one-of-us-now truth bombs, and then expect her to want to move in and join the séance party?
Sue shivered. Yes, that was exactly what she had been thinking—more or less.
“Not move in,” Heather corrected. “Stay until we can figure this out, as our guest. That way, we can help keep an eye on things.”
I don’t need a babysitter, Sue thought.
“It’s not like she needs us to babysit her,” Vivien said. “Maybe we take her to the theater?”
Stop doing that! Sue tried not to scowl.
Vivien glanced at her but said nothing.
Did you hear that? Look at me if you can hear this, Sue thought.
Vivien didn’t look.
Lorna took a deep breath. “The theater isn’t a bad idea.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m not really in the mood for a movie,” Sue said.
“There’s an unoccupied apartment above the theater lobby,” Vivien explained.
“We have the new security system,” Lorna added, directing her comment toward Heather. “If she pushes the panic button, we can be there in minutes.”
“I can call Troy and have him set up a live feed from the concessions area today,” Vivien said. “Wouldn’t take much, and we could keep an eye out that way too.”
“Are you talking about Warrick Theater?” Sue thought of the magazine pictures.
“Yes. I inherited the building. The upstairs studio apartment is completely furnished. Lorna was there not too long ago, so all it might need is a light dusting if that. You’ll have to get groceries,” Heather said. “You can stay as long as you want. No charge.”